CASE STUDY
New England Conservatory
Musical Excellence and Artistic Exploration Since 1867
STRATEGY | DESIGN | DEVELOPMENT
THE CHALLENGE
When New England Conservatory (NEC), the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States, set out to reimagine its website, it wasn’t just looking for a visual refresh. It needed a digital platform that could reflect its world-class artistry, support its evolving institutional priorities, and serve the complex needs of students, faculty, alumni, and audiences alike.
Quarterdeck partnered with NEC to deliver a full website transformation—one that married intuitive design with deep information architecture, elevated visual storytelling, and a reengineered content management experience. The result is a responsive, accessible, and future-proof digital stage for one of the world’s leading conservatories.
This work was recently honored with a 2025 Circle of Excellence Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The award recognized the project’s “striking design, seamless navigation, and excellent use of storytelling to elevate NEC’s mission.”
THE PROCESS
The New England Conservatory website project wasn’t a quick turnaround—it was a deep, multi-phase engagement spanning several years. From the earliest discovery conversations to launch (and beyond), we worked closely with NEC to untangle complexity, align stakeholders, and bring long-term vision to life. This wasn’t just a redesign—it was a digital transformation.
1. Discovery & Strategy
We began by immersing ourselves in NEC’s ecosystem: extensive stakeholder interviews, user journey mapping, analytics audits, and content inventories laid the groundwork. With dozens of departments, audiences ranging from pre-college parents to doctoral students, and a vibrant performance calendar to accommodate, the complexity was significant—and essential to get right.
3. Technical Architecture & Development
Under the hood, the site demanded power and flexibility. We architected a custom content management system that could support rich media, a complex academic structure, dynamic performance listings, and long-form storytelling—all while maintaining accessibility and performance standards. We prioritized long-term sustainability: modular content blocks, structured data, and extensible backend tools give NEC the power to evolve the site over time without reinventing the wheel.
2. Design for Expression and Clarity
NEC’s identity is multifaceted: a conservatory, a concert hall, a research institution, a community partner. The design system needed to balance clarity with personality, structure with emotion. Each page is rooted in usability, but animated by NEC’s artistic spirit. We collaborated closely with NEC to ensure that the visual direction was both institutionally authentic and technically sound.
4. Ongoing Partnership
Throughout the engagement, we operated not as a vendor, but as an embedded partner. We navigated evolving needs, shifting timelines, and the emergence of new institutional priorities—always with an eye toward durability and excellence.
THE RESULT
The launch of the new NECmusic.edu marked a transformational leap forward for New England Conservatory’s digital presence. Designed to serve a wide array of audiences—from prospective students and faculty to donors and music lovers—the site now functions as a dynamic, user-centered platform that brings NEC’s artistic excellence to life online.
Key outcomes include:
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Improved Usability: Streamlined navigation, faster load times, and a mobile-first, accessible design have significantly enhanced the user experience across devices.
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Stronger Event Engagement: A fully integrated and intuitive events calendar has increased visibility for NEC’s 800+ annual performances, helping drive higher attendance and community engagement.
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Modernized Brand Identity: A beautifully executed visual and editorial refresh ensures NEC’s voice is clear, consistent, and aligned with its global reputation for musical excellence.
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Expanded Access to Faculty & Programs: A redesigned faculty directory and refined content strategy help prospective students connect with mentors and explore NEC’s full range of offerings—from the Conservatory to Expanded Education programs.
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Elevated Multimedia Storytelling: Video, photography, and music are woven throughout the site, giving users an immersive and emotionally resonant experience.
THE TAKEAWAY
The site was praised by CASE Circle of Excellence judges for its clarity, cohesiveness, and confidence. Ultimately, NECmusic.edu isn’t just a redesign—it’s a digital stage for the future of music, amplifying NEC’s mission and extending the reach of its performances, programs, and people like never before.
Quarterdeck has been an exceptional partner in bringing New England Conservatory’s new website to life. With strategic insight, technical expertise, and a collaborative spirit, they helped us launch a dynamic, high-performing site that engages our audience and advances our mission. Their ongoing support since launch has kept us agile as our needs evolve.
NEC has nailed its goals with this website and wrote a beautifully clear submission explaining the story of its creation. We loved to see NEC playing to its strengths and applauded its prominent use of music and video on the site, along with the easy and convenient access to the calendar and the delivery of content. Tight, professional brand management was at the heart of this entry. We found the new brand flawlessly executed across the site, remarking that its seamless approach never left you in doubt that you were on NEC’s site. We were left wanting more!